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The Will of Richard Charlton

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I Richard Charlton of the City of Wiiliamsburg being sick & weak in body but of sound mind [sic] & perfect sense & memory do make this my last will & testament in manner & form following:

IMPRIMIS. I constitute & appoint my beloved wife Sarah & my good friends Robert Prentis & Doctor. John Galt to be exrx. & exrs. of this my last will & I do further appoint my sd two friends Robert Prentis & John Galt to be guardians of my two sons Edward & Thomas & of my daughter Jane until they respectively attain the age of 21 years.

Item. My just debts & funeral expences being first paid & discharged I desire that my whole estate both real & personal may be sold except such parts thereof as in the discretion of my exrx. & exrs. they think most for the benefit of my children to keep together & the money arising from the sales thereof I desire may be placed to interest & the Sd interest applied to the maintainence of my wife & children.

Item. If my wife marries again or at her death or whensoever my children shall attain the age of 21 years whichsoever of the sd contingencies shall first happen I give & bequeath to each of my sd sons Edward & Thomas £1000 & to my daughter Jane the like sum & in case of the death of either of my sd children without issue give their part of my estate to be equally divided between the survivors of them & in the case of the death of any two the whole to the survivor.

Item. I give & bequeath all the residue of my estate to be equally divided between my two sons Edward & Thomas & my daughter Jane as the contingencies aforementioned or any of them shall or may happen subject to the same right of survivorship.

Item. If my wife marries again I give her only what the law shall allow but until that happens or she shall die I desire that she may receive an equal support from the profits of the whole estate with my children.

Item. If. my daughter Jane shall marry before she attains the age of 21 years I desire her legacies may be immediately paid.

IN WITNESS hereto I have set my hand & affixed my seal this 7th day of May 1779.

Richd. Charlton L.S.

Sealed & delivered by the testator in presence of
John Beckley
JM Galt